Effective SLM requires IT management software or another software license management tool, but the returns justify the expense. SLM impacts your most important key performance indicator (KPI): the bottom line. SLM helps ensure each stage is efficient and cost-effective. The ITIL software life cycle has five stages: purchase, deployment, maintenance, utilization, and disposal. ITIL is a collection of best practices to integrate IT activities with overall business processes and objectives. SLM is part of the software governance and compliance framework.

SLM is a subset of software asset management (SAM) in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) methodology. SLM helps determine how many licenses are needed from each software vendor and distributes licenses throughout the company where they will have maximum impact. This includes desktop installs, web-based applications, and digital device applications. You almost never 'buy' a piece of software instead, you buy a license to use it under defined conditions and/or time periods. SLM tracks and maintains your company's software licenses. Overview: What is software license management? We'll go over the multiple SLM benefits, best practices, and different software licenses to demonstrate why you need SLM at your small business. One hidden cost that can add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars a year is unnecessary and improperly used software licenses.Ī software license management (SLM) plan helps you avoid these costs. Wasted time, money, and resources are the enemy of success at your small business. The Ascent covers the best practices to manage your small business's software licenses. Software license management (SLM) saves you money by identifying unused software and licensing violations.

Open source license manager software